Arkham Legends: From the Ashes
by OnlyColetonYaNo
Summary: Batman: Arkham Knight Spoilers! - Knightfall Protocol. The night the world watched Bruce Wayne die. With his perceived death, Bruce now had the opportunity to reforge the Batman and give Gotham the hero it so desperately needed. However, no amount of training could prepare Bruce or his successor for the madness that had befallen Gotham in their absence.
1. Chapter 1

What was this about?

Arnold Wesker sat in a cold, hard, and downright uncomfortable, black marble chair, surrounded by Gotham's newest layer of scum. He rested as best he could manage into the chilled stone backing and peered past his thick-lensed glasses, trying to make sense of why he was seated here and now with this ragtag group.

"Quit gawking, dummy!"

That voice, so corrosive, yet, so familiar, came from the black marble end table placed next to Arnold. Or, more specifically, from his long time partner, Scarface, who sat upon the cold stone. The puppet, still horribly disfigured from the Joker carving a larger than life grin into his face that night at the Asylum, was glaring Wesker down through the permanent squint set in wood in his right eye.

"What kind of Ventriloquist are you, anyway? Needin' me to tell yous what to do and such."

Arnold couldn't help but think Scarface looked out of place in this immaculate setting. His partner had still retained some of the sickly white, red and green that Harley had lathered him up with before sticking him in that cradle, surrounded by her last attempts at retaining what fleeting memory of 'Mr. J' she could: the pregnancy tests.

The room surrounding the couple was filled with Romanesque statues separated by large, white, marble pillars. Even greater red banners, branding a yellow symbol Arnold couldn't quite make out, ran the length of the ceiling overhead - parallel to the rectangular table they were seated at - and hung majestically behind the statues. Arnold's observation of his surroundings was momentarily distracted when he remembered that his partner had spoken to him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Scarface, sir. I'm just curious as to why we have been invited here, along with these two... Things." Arnold had kept his voice down so not to attract the attention of the other two guests.

"Just keep yer trap shut and let me do tha thinkin'!" Scarface sneered.

Arnold and Scarface had always had a rocky relationship; that much was to be expected though, when the pair were dependent on one another but couldn't see eye to eye. Scarface had held an extra bitterness towards Wesker since the night of Joker's takeover of Arkham Asylum. The Ventriloquist had Scarface taken away from him upon admission to the Asylum. Scarface had remained in Warden Sharp's possession until he was abducted by the Joker, only to be tossed aside and picked up by the Penguin's thugs, made to dance on display in the Penguin's Arkham City Museum. After Batman had cleaned out the Penguin and his thugs from the scene, Arnold used the chaos of Protocol 10 to slip in and reclaim his partner. The pair had laid low for a while until Scarecrow tried to send Gotham into a fear toxin greenhouse. Lucky for them, they were squatting on the rooftop of Falcone Shipping and managed to avoid the Cloudburst. Following the incarceration of the 'supervillains,' Scarface and Arnold began to pick up the now leaderless thugs, starting with inmates still roaming the streets and not associated with any major player in the underground, and began to build an empire from there.

"P-please keep it down, sir." Arnold stuttered, growing anxious. "We don't want to appear divided in front our companions, here." Scarface didn't want to admit it, but Arnold was right about maintaining appearances.

The other invited guests didn't pay much attention to Scarface and the Ventriloquist, because each of them was wondering the same thing. Seated across from Mr. Wesker was a man dressed in a neatly pressed blue micro twill vest and pants with a pink striped button-up; he liked how the bright colors contrasted against his pale white complexion. Noticeable against his vest was a brown leather body harness holding his sidearm, which was a stipulation that he mandated before he would agree to attend.

Most of the criminal underworld was not aware of his presence before his run-in with Victor Fries, which left him scarred to the extent of turning his skin ashen white, along with losing his hair, nose, ears and lips. Embracing his new look, he sharpened his teeth into fangs and took the name 'The Great White Shark.' While the Great White managed to escape Arkham Asylum during the Joker's takeover, he still managed to be swept up and committed to Arkham City. Unable to hide his appearance, he decided to set up shop near the old GCPD Building in Amusement Mile, under the glow of Gotham City Olympus. During his time there he took on clients who somehow managed to still have a penny left to their name and, thanks to his prowess in that line of work, acted as their financial consultant and advisor. It didn't last very long, however, because after helicopters rained fire down upon Arkham City, enacting Protocol 10, most had assumed Warren White had died in the ensuing firestorm. That was proven to be false when, a week later, his clients that had survived found their accounts completely drained.

With his newly acquired riches, the Great White took a vacation to Santa Prisca. He stayed below the radar in the tropical paradise that also happened to be a breeding ground for a new stronger type of venom; similar to that of Bane's. Even though he was quite a few miles away, he managed to keep an ear out - figuratively and literally, seeing as his ears were probably still floating around in some jar in the ruins of Arkham Asylum - for news related to Gotham, but when he heard of Gotham's streets being cleaned up for good following Scarecrow's attack, he had to head back. Upon returning to Gotham the Great White Shark quickly amassed a large following, thanks to his deep pockets. He took on new clients and invested his money, making him even richer. That was the thing his hired thugs loved most about working for him: the thick paychecks.

Warren White noticed the two across from him bickering back and forth but he wasn't bothered by it. To his left at the closer end of the table was an empty chair, presumably reserved for their host. The grandiose piece of furniture was reminiscent of a throne, laden with gold and stamped with a familiar bolt symbol on the back. He noticed that the same symbol also happened to be sewn into the red drapery surrounding them. At the other end of the table, to Warren's right, sat a figure that looked as though he had a dense black cloud billowing around him, but upon further examination he saw that the 'cloud' had a form to it; like it was a living, breathing entity with substance. It was then that Warren had come upon the realization that this 'cloud' consisted of _rats_. _Hundreds_ of rats.

Even without the physical extension of his nose, the Great White still had his olfactory glands intact, and he started to notice their stench emanating from the far side of the room. Perhaps that's why this character was seated so far away; but that wasn't what bothered Warren. Despite the stench that this horde of rodents caused, it was eerily silent. For the hundreds, maybe thousands, of rats gathered at the end of the table, the sound should equal that of a small jet engine rumbling in the distance, but not a single squeak or scratch could be heard. Nestled at the center of this nebula were a pair of eyes that resembled lenses of a chemical warfare gas mask, where they remained static among this swarming mass.

It did not take long for the Great White to realize who those eyes belonged to. He was familiar with his work and the skill he displayed at moving messages and goods right under GCPD's nose - or Gotham's streets depending on who you were asking. The eyes belonged to The Ratcatcher, who was favored by many thugs doing time in Blackgate Penitentiary - before it became a shopping mall, that is - on account of his uncanny method of getting messages and goods in and out of the prison. Through the wordless manipulation of Gotham's sea of rodents, Otis Flannegan could carry messages all across Gotham from the depths of its vast sewer network. There were even stories of his rodents aiding former fellow inmate Deadshot escape Blackgate. The rats smuggled in pistols, piece by piece, bullet by bullet - including the tools necessary - to reassemble the weapons, in exchange for a chance to escape. Needless to say, the plan worked out for the two. It seemed pointless though, because Otis was recaptured a year and a half later, when he opened a new ratcatching business under a false name and was reported for attempting to force money out of a client by turning the rats on her. No matter the situation the Ratcatcher found himself in, however, he always made sure his information and smuggling network remained intact and fully functional.

After taking in his surroundings and measuring the strengths and weaknesses in the room, The Great White Shark started to wonder why they were brought here, of all places, together. Shark knew that as a financial specialist he would benefit by working with any number of villains. He saw the potential for Willard's particular set of skills and knew that, though unorthodox, they would come in handy in any organization. He was cautious, though, of the unpredictable combo of Arnold Wesker and Scarface; puppeteer and puppet, or puppet and puppeteer? Nobody was sure, and that was what Warren didn't like. Before he could dwell on the question for much longer, his thoughts were interrupted by a loud booming voice that had echoed throughout the hall.

"Welcome brethren to my home reforged! Welcome to my palace, where we may hold court! WELCOME TO OLYMPUS!"

The sheer volume emanating from the tower of a man now standing at a large set of open double doors held enough force that even Scarface fell over.

Maximillian Zeus, the host of the evening, stood at the head of the table now, behind his golden throne, addressing the room with arms open wide. Maxie had made a small impression in the criminal underworld before being committed to Arkham Asylum; his nightclub had continued to run in his absence, thanks to his devoted followers. Unfortunately for him, though, the building plans for Arkham City had Gotham City Olympus right at its core. Barely withstanding the fallout of Protocol 10 and Joker's bombing of Amusement Mile, Olympus and its surrounding neighborhood lay dilapidated, flooded and abandoned. It wasn't until a year later that the waters began to recede and men found their way back into the ruins of Arkham City. It was then that Zeus marched his army of Acolytes down to his former home to reclaim it from the scum taking shelter there. In the following years Zeus had renovated Olympus to its former glory, shining like a beacon above the rubble and ash that once was Amusement Mile.

Now standing in his reforged palace, Maxie felt confident and right at home in his surroundings in front of his guests.

"I am pleased you all could attend this gathering. Whether it is out of fear of recent events or just morbid curiosity, welcome." Zeus appeared genuine in nature despite the ragtag audience at his table. Otis's rats, that had stopped in their tracks upon Zeus's entrance and had all focused their gaze on him as he spoke, gradually resumed their patrol around the Ratcatcher, one by one in turn, as he regained their attention. Arnold had picked up Scarface off of the end table he was laying face down on and placed him on his right thigh.

"Get yer mitts offa me! I can take care o' myself," the puppet snapped. The Ventriloquist reluctantly let go and let Scarface rest on his thigh, who was glaring at his host. Arnold, trying to keep his composure in front of his fellow criminals, adjusted his spectacles and refocused his attention on Zeus.

The Shark, having his train of thought interrupted by Zeus's grandiose entrance, had actually jumped out of his chair and drew his sidearm to bear on Zeus's chest. Zeus, however, was not fazed by this gesture and simply replied, "Rest easy my brothers, I meant not to excite. I am just pleased that you all agreed to attend... With the exception of Icarus. You may know him best as Firefly, but he has been dealt with."

The final comment lingered in his guests' minds until Otis finally spoke up, "Funny that we were only given the perceived notion of choice to attend this meeting. It also appears that just one of us is truly enthused by this gathering: you." As that final word left The Ratcatcher's lips the rodent swarm took a more sinister, jagged appearance and fixated their gaze at the man opposite the table.

"Judging by the circumstances that brought us together tonight, I could not allow information of this meeting getting out and gaining the attention of who we are here to discuss," Zeus clarified, unnerved by the new thousand-eyed stare now turned his way.

"And who might that be?" Great White asked sarcastically.

"Do not jest with me boy," Zeus retorted. "How about I just get down to business?"

One right after the other Arnold and Scarface responded "Please, do." Zeus seemed pleased and drew a deep breath.

"It has been five long years since the world witnessed the death of the Batman. Or should I say Bruce Wayne?" The mention of the name elicited a slight chuckle from the crowd. "That same evening was the last time Gotham had heard of its 'major criminal player' on account of Batman playing clean-up following the Scarecrow incident. Thanks to Gotham City Police Department's retainment overhaul, they have kept those inmates locked up tight and in their absence we have managed to build our own empires without incident. Until recently.

"Stories of a new masked Knight have been making their way through Gotham. About two years following Batman's death we started to encounter minor disruptions, but the stories relayed to us had mentioned that tactics similar to the Batman were being used. Some even believed this man to be Batman due to the similarity of injuries sustained after engaging him, until someone finally got a good glimpse. They say that he wears a red and white outfit bearing a large red cross on the chest. He also wears a mask and hood to hide his identity. At first, he was only a minor nuisance, but he has become more aggressive. He has dealt a major blow to The Great White Shark most recently, and he has put us on the defensive. This is why we are gathered here, now. Before we have another Batman on our hands we need to consolidate power and snuff this ember out before he catches fire and makes life a living hell for all of us."

Zeus paused for a moment, trying to gauge his audience's reaction. From what he could tell, they looked to be in agreement. Otis was the first to speak.

"If GCPD's lockup was so tight how did you manage to contact Firefly? To my knowledge, he was a part of that night's festivities." He sounded as if he were mocking Zeus.

"My dear boy, Icarus had faked a seizure while in the department's care and during his transport to Elliot Memorial Hospital, he had killed the medical personnel and escaped," Zeus answered without missing a beat. " We picked him up shortly after."

The Shark, whose finances have been hit the hardest due to this masked Knight's meddling, was quick to respond.

"I'm in."

The Ventriloquist, speaking almost out of turn, had also agreed to the partnership and received a glare from Scarface, who then said, "Yeah, we're in for now."

The gazes in the room then turned to the Ratcatcher, who had taken on a pale white stare, as if all the blood were drained from his body.

"What say you?" Zeus demanded, seeming almost impatient due to the reluctance. The others had been so quick to respond.

"M-my rats have brought me two pieces of information while sitting here." Otis squeaked. "The first is the name of our new knight. It was taken from a transmission picked up from one of GCPD's radio frequencies. Someone there knows him and he also knows that he goes by the name Azrael."

Scarface, growing impatient with his lethargic delivery, spat out, "And what's the second?" Otis appeared to try and answer but came up dry.

Warren also grew impatient.

"What the hell could be that bad?"

"It's..." He managed to let only that single word pass his lips.

"Out with it boy!" Zeus screamed.

Otis stood and cleared his throat.

"It's Bruce Wayne... He's alive."


	2. Chapter 2

_Sir..._

Jim Gordon sat in an almost barren room apart from the furniture that was left behind by the previous owner. Still feeling out of place, Jim had tried to settle back into his chair once again. It was brand new and carried an aroma that was a culmination of warm leather, heated plastic and packing peanuts. The armrests were not broken in and still grabbed at his arms and shirt if used for too long. The cushion was also stiff and offered too much resistance. His desk still had plastic clinging to the side, and there it would probably remain until the movers were finished transferring all of his belongings. What bothered him though was that it was extremely bright in the room, due to the lack of shades as well as simply because he was not used to his new setting.

The room was an office at the corner of one of Gotham's central towers that had two walls made entirely out of glass and did not offer much protection against the sun's warm glow. Jim noticed the pair of movers come into the office carrying a large filing cabinet; as they entered, one of the men lost his grip and dropped a corner onto the new carpet, cutting a small tear into it. In fear of potentially having his pay docked, the mover responsible, in a panic, looked directly at Jim. However, thinking it added character to the room, Jim only grinned and nodded, showing his lack of interest in the tear. Glancing around to the walls now, Gordon had began to notice small dark outlines, that littered the two inner walls, where old pictures used to hang. It gave him an unusual sense of calm knowing that not every bit of grime from this dirty job had been washed away. It served as a reminder that this job was not going to be permanent and that he had to do the best he could in the short time-span allotted to him.

 _Mr. Gordon..._

As the movers repeatedly brought more and more of Jim's effects into the room, he looked into the box that was placed on the desk before him. Jim carried this box in himself, as it was filled with his personal, rather than business, items. Rummaging through the box he started to pull a few items out and began placing them on his desk. One of the items was a small plastic souvenir that he happened across while walking the streets of Gotham. For most who would have bought this cheap plastic paperweight, it would have been a tally mark of famous Gotham locations that have been visited. For Jim, however, it served as a crude, grim reminder of the time and effort put into keeping this city safe. It was a replica of the Bleake Island Gotham City Police Department building with a disproportionate Bat Signal that was half the size of the building it was placed on top of, with an LED light built into it. Gordon never turned the signal on though; in fact, he had broken it as another reminder of the ultimate sacrifice his friend, the Batman, made five years ago to keep his closest allies, including Jim, safe. It had been five long years since the Batman cleaned up Gotham's streets and removed the biggest criminal players by locking them in GCPD's upgraded containment wing.

Jim also had Aaron Cash to thank for the upgrades to the department's containment system. As the thought of Aaron entered his mind, Jim realized he was holding onto the Golden Department Shield and firearm that was presented to him upon his departure from the force. The gilded shield was a token given to all of GCPD's veterans of twenty or more years. Now resting on a plaque, the firearm was more of a personal gift from the department. It was the pistol that rested against his chest all those years spent serving as Gotham's Commissioner. Jim had not put much thought into the significance of these tokens, but as he held them in his hand he couldn't stop himself from grinning. Even at the darkest times Jim never gave up hope that he would be able to make a difference in this city. Sitting there, in that moment, with those mementos in hand, Jim knew he accomplished what he set out to do. He then realized that his new job led to all new possibilities and struggles that held serious consequences for Gotham.

"Mr. Mayor!"

Jim Gordon snapped out of the general haze he had been consumed by since winning the mayoral election. As the fleeting thoughts left Jim's conscience, he focused his attention on his personal assistant sitting across from him at the desk.

Her name was Michele, Shelly for short. Jim wished he could say she was your typical beautiful twenty-something, but she was far from typical. While she was there to look pretty for the cameras, her type of beauty wasn't what one would expect in this line of work. She stood at about Jim's shoulders and had a light complexion that stood out against her long, bottled red hair; it was almost a fire-engine-red accentuated with black streaks. Jim was not a stickler for appearance guidelines anymore, so he didn't mind her choice of hair color or the tattoos that decorated her body. On her chest was an elegant font in a language Jim assumed was French, and her upper left arm was covered in a colorful half sleeve that displayed her love of Halloween and the autumn season. On her right wrist was what looked to be a signature of sorts, but Jim never asked whose it was, and behind her right ear were some tiny music notes that danced down to her neck. She always dressed professionally, with finely tailored pencil skirts and blouses, and when she was in the office she wore thick black-framed reading glasses.

The way Gordon saw it, he was not your conventional politician and, therefore, should not have to pretend to be one. He knew that Shelly was good at her job, and that was all he cared about. Despite her non-conformative appearance, she never ran into trouble with clients and always got her work done in a timely manner. Jim really admired that about her and had grown pretty fond of her throughout the election process.

Jim was very uncomfortable with his new surroundings in the mayoral race. He missed the dark, rough edge that came with being Gotham's Police Commissioner, but Shelly helped him along the transition to the new political office. When in the public eye, Shelly was a miracle worker for Jim and, with little effort, made him shine brighter than Wayne Tower in the Gotham City skyline. Partnering with the Batman and leading GCPD through the many incidents set by the city's "super" villains, Commissioner Gordon was already a hero to the public. Jim, however, did not see it that way; to him, he was just doing his job while trying to protect those who were closest to him. During the election process, Jim had doubted that he could continue on in the race but was put at ease thanks to Shelly's grim determination to give the city of Gotham the mayor it deserved. Despite Jim's lack of persona under the press spotlight, with Shelly's help he managed to win the election by a landslide. Gordon's prolific career also helped solidify his victory against the other candidates. Jim and Shelly had taken Gotham by storm and the buzz surrounding Gordon's victory could be heard all the way to Metropolis.

"I thought I lost you there." Shelly said a little testily. "If you spaced out this much while you were Commissioner, we probably wouldn't be sitting here today."

Reminded by her dark humor and outlook on situations behind closed doors, Jim felt as if he were back at the precinct messing around with the guys. That was why he liked having her around.

"I feel as though I have nothing but time to space out now." Jim answered almost sarcastically. "I'm still just letting it all sink in. Trying to get used to the new title."

"Well that's all fine and dandy but here is where the real work begins. I have a couple of things to run by you if you're done having your moment." his assistant quickly responded.

Jim felt as if sometimes she really did mean to make fun of him but he didn't mind it. It was just that same passive aggressive attitude that put his mindset back in GCPD. He still had some of his belongings in the box between them on the desk but nodded anyway to allow Shelly to continue.

"Okay." She looked down to a clipboard in her hand. "The first thing is actually now the last thing you did as Police Commissioner of Gotham City. Before you retired from your position you had nominated Aaron Cash as your successor to whomever would end up in the Mayor's office. Now that that person is you, you can go ahead and make it official by appointing him the position and allow GCPD to undergo the change of command process."

"Consider it done." Jim said sternly. He had grown fond of Aaron Cash's commitment to the force and his devotion to his family. Having been present at all three major incidents, including the takeover of Arkham Asylum, the events leading to Arkham City's collapse and the night the Batman died, Aaron had proven himself to be a worthy and capable candidate. He had also proven himself invaluable in the renovation of GCPD's retainment cells for the city's so-called "super" villains. Having intimate knowledge of each villain due to his time spent working at the Asylum allowed Cash to cater the containment cells to their strengths and weaknesses. Disregarding the Firefly incident, each villain had successfully been held in captivity. Jim saw that as a sure-fire sign that Aaron was a perfect fit as Commissioner of the new Gotham City. His contemporary edge had made even Jim's tried and true techniques seem outdated in their effectiveness when dealing with Gotham's villains. Jim actually was looking forward to teaming up with Cash to work towards cleaning up the city's streets for good.

"Great. Now the other thing is something I knew you would have liked to be a part of. Certain bills are being passed through the system that call for the reinstatement of Arkham Asylum and the demolition of the Arkham City extension." Shelly continued.

"Damn." Jim grimaced at the mere mention of the locations. "You would think that they wouldn't have waited so long to take care of this problem. It's a damn good thing Cash revamped GCPD, otherwise these crooks would be back out on the streets without Arkham Asylum."

"Exactly, and you are the perfect man for the job. Even if you're not handling the construction yourself, you could make sure the right people are." she responded, almost leading Gordon into his next thought.

"Speaking of the right people, what is Lucius Fox up to these days?" asked Jim.

"The former CEO of Wayne Enterprises? Last I heard, he had stepped down and took an extended vacation shortly after. As far as I know, he's still out of town. I will have our people look into it, though." The young woman looked at her boss with her eyebrows knitted together in mild confusion. She was trying to piece together the connection Jim clearly saw. What would you want from him?"

Jim liked when Shelly asked questions. She had gained his trust through the election and, therefore, he had no problem trying to help her understand his thought process. He would explain from time to time how and why he came to conclusions and what he did to either chase leads down or take care of the situation. This helped her understand how to respond to inquiries when Jim was not around, but it also provided insight into what went on in such a great man's mind.

"Lucius Fox used to work for Mr. Wayne in the Research and Development branch of Wayne Enterprises." he answered. "Making the connection we all now know, where do you think the Batman received all of his useful gadgets?"

Shelly was always interested in what Jim's thoughts were due to her interest in psychology. Her original plan was to get a degree in psychology and work at Arkham Asylum, but after the Joker's takeover, that was no longer a viable option. She always figured studying villains would be more interesting, but she soon found out that combating and dealing with those villains was more up her alley. Shelly soon set out to earn her way into the services of the powerful public servants of Gotham so she could try to make her dent by providing assistance where she could. She eventually earned her way into the office of Mayor Quincy Sharp and there she was passed along until Jim announced his run for office. She instantly submitted her résumé and was noticed by Jim due to his work with the Mayor's office on numerous occasions as Commissioner and, after a short interview, the job was hers.

"Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences Division and the Research and Development branch were but small parts of the company as a whole. A short time after the emergence of the Batman, however, those departments were consolidated under one name: Lucius Fox. I have also only come into this information recently." Jim continued. "After I had stepped down as Commissioner and announced my candidacy I received an envelope with the Wayne Enterprises logo at my house. Inside the envelope was an item and a letter. I actually still carry them with me and have them in this box." Gordon reached into the box in front of him and pulled out the thick, padded envelope and opened it. He first pulled out the letter, unfolding the single piece of paper, and showed the company letterhead to Shelly. He then cleared his throat and began to read aloud.

 _To my dear friend Jim Gordon,_

 _This may come to you some time after my disappearance but I have left instructions with the company to deliver this if you were to announce your candidacy for the Mayor's Office. I had a feeling that after your time as Commissioner ended, you would not be done serving Gotham. The only option available to you at that point would be Mayor. Now that you are reading this, let me get down to the point._

 _This is an official notification that you have been given full, unrestricted access to Wayne Enterprises records, including personnel, finances and text documents. You will have my personal security level access to the entire company. I am entrusting this information to you in hope that you will use it wisely while serving as Mayor and continue OUR work. Please utilize whatever resource you deem necessary to help ensure this city's safety. Certain contacts of mine and the company's have been notified of this letter and await any questions you may have. I must keep this message brief in order to make all of the necessary preparations to leave town. I do not know how long I will be gone, and we may never speak again. I would just like to say thank you and goodbye._

 _Your friend,_

 _Bruce Wayne_

"So you mean to tell me that Bruce Wayne is still alive and gave you full access to his company?" Shelly sat across from Gordon wide-eyed, her mouth slightly hung open.

It was then that Jim realized that he should have left that last portion out, but he had come to trust her and it was too late to take it back.

"That is what I am lead to believe. You honestly never know with this man, but it would be safe to continue assuming that he is still dead. I did, however, take him up on his offer and went to the company to look into certain things that were bugging me." Jim went on. "When I arrived, I was lead to his old office and was sat at his old desk. I logged into the computer using a retinal scanner, no less, and it actually greeted me as Jim Gordon. I do not even want to know how he got the original retinal scan to match the new one to. This is when I found the connection between Lucius Fox and Batman's gadget supply."

As Jim spoke he reached back into the envelope and pulled out what looked like a stand of sorts. Shelly peered past the thick black frames of her glasses at Gordon quizzically as he then pulled out the trophy. Gordon held the item in his hand and gave Shelly a moment to look it over. To her, it almost resembled a lobster claw. It was black and had two larger points on the ends that came together to give the visage of the pincers. The points did not seem connected but had appeared so on the opposite end of the item. The pincers were attached to a circular piece by portions thinner than the pincers. Both ends of the piece also had sharp edges and a shape to them. When Gordon realized that Shelly still could not figure out what it was he grabbed one of the pincers and gave the item a flick. Like a switch blade, the item sprung itself into place and locked tightly. Gordon then mounted it on the stand by the circular piece in what was now the middle. Shelly could not believe her eyes; it was a Batarang that now lay mounted on Gordon's new desk.

"He... He just gave you one of his Batarangs?" Shelly was still bewildered by Gordon's new trophy. "I thought that when you were on the receiving end of one of those it was not an entirely pleasurable experience?"

"No, it usually isn't. I've put enough thugs away that can attest to that." Gordon chuckled.

"That is incredible!" Shelly exclaimed. "I have never seen one up close. I mean, you always hear of people finding a lost one on the street or stuck in a wall, but when they go and post something online about it - whether they are trying to sell it or not - the Batarangs always end up disappearing one way or another." The corner of the girl's mouth tugged in the start of a half smile as gears began to turn inside her head. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by the thought.

"Now don't go and get any bright ideas." Jim said, mocking her for getting lost in her thoughts. "There is something else I would like you to help me with since I'm not good at these kind of things." Jim reached into his box and pulled out the last item. It was a decorative picture frame that Jim turned towards Shelly, revealing Tim Drake and Barbara Gordon next to each other, overlooking the Gotham skyline.

"I want you to help me pick out a suit for my daughter's wedding." Jim said almost pleadingly.

"I can absolutely help you with that, sir." Shelly almost seemed excited to help. "Let me just run to my desk and take care of a few things, like submitting an inquiry at Wayne Enterprises about Mr. Fox, then we can look into that suit for you." As she was finishing the sentence she was already walking out the door.

Jim nestled back into the uncomfortable desk chair and contemplated the ramifications of letting Shelly in on the secret. During his chat with her, the movers had finished bringing everything into the office before he even started reading the letter. The office was now stuffed with filing cabinets and pictures yet to be hung, and Gordon could not care less. He figured he would enjoy the mess while he could before he began his work as Gotham's Mayor. His solace was cut short when his personal phone rang from an unknown caller.

"Um, hello?" Jim hesitated.

"I heard you were looking for me, Mr. Gordon." said the voice on the other line. "It is an honor to speak with you. I take it you have received the letter from our mutual friend?"

Shelly poked her head into the office and said, "I just got off the phone with Wayne Enterprises. They said that they do not have any contact info for..." Jim cut her off.

"Lucius Fox. Just the man I wanted to speak with."


End file.
